5000 years ago - The Guennol Lioness, Elam2007 SOLD 57 M$ including premium by Sotheby's

Neo-Babylonian - The Records of Nebuchadnezzar2014 SOLD 605 K$ including premium

The cuneiform writing appeared in Mesopotamia more than 5000 years ago. It was carved by scribes on clay tablets which can take various geometries : planar surfaces, cylinders, cones, pebbles.

At the inauguration of a religious monument, it was common that the reasons of its consecration to a specific god are recorded on such clay structures, in a tight writing. The original tablets were buried in the foundations of the new temple as a symbol of the everlasting and mystical glory of the reigning monarch.

One may wonder why such a literary and historiographical attempt was made for being immediately hidden. I guess that these plates were also used as seals or at least as models to create more fragile copies that have not survived.

The temples of the city of Sippar, between Baghdad and Babylon, housed one of the biggest cuneiform libraries.

On April 9 in New York, Doyle sells a large barrel shaped cylinder 21 cm long, which is devoted to the reconstruction of a temple to the sun god Shamash at Sippar by Nabu-kudurri-usur 2600 years ago. This document is estimated $ 300K .

Better known with his Biblical name of Nebuchadnezzar II, this king of the Neo-Babylonian dynasty was one of the most powerful monarchs of antiquity, considered by the Jews as an intimidating enemy of monotheism. The creation of the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon is attributed to his sumptuous reign.

A Glass Bottle dating from before the Crusades2008 SOLD 360 K£ including premium

The antique glass is necessarily rare in good condition. This reinforces the exceptional nature of this bottle, which dates from the third century of the Hegira and that the Crusaders failed to break.

Yet that lot number 72 from the sale of Sotheby's in London on October 8, was announced with an unusual discretion in the press release from the auction house. So, contrary to my usual discipline, I went to seek more information directly in the catalog.

The object was made in Persia 1100 years ago. It is a round bottle with a long cylindrical neck, 17 cm high overall. The transparent body is adorned on both sides with an applied green layer representing horses in a dynamic attitude that is particularly successful, over a foliaged background. The neck is decorated with geometric designs cut into the glass with a wheel. We are told that this carving technique, similar to that used for cameos, is especially rare for glass, more difficult to work this way.

The conditions report indicates some misses and repairs, which probably justifies that the lower estimate does not exceed 300 K£ for this scarcity. I hope it will be more expensive.

POST SALE COMMENT

At 360 K £ including costs, this bottle was correctly sold. One might think that if its condition was perfect it could have reached a much better price.

1525-1535 The King disguised as a Dragon2011 SOLD 7.4 M£ including premium

The most important works of ancient literature had a universal or encyclopaedic goal. The Iliad of Homer, Dante's Divine Comedy and the Shahnameh of Firdausi must be put on the same pedestal.

The Persian poet Firdausi wrote the Shahnameh 1000 years ago. This Book of Kings collects the epic and heroic stories of his country since the creation of the world until the advent of Islam.

He was misunderstood in his lifetime, like all geniuses, but the Persian kings realized later that this text could be used as an apologia for royal power. Ismail, founder of the Safavid dynasty, encouraged artists to illustrate the Shahnameh, but the great work was an illuminated manuscript created in the early reign of his son and successor Tahmasp.

This highly important manuscript has been dismantled. One can, or even have to, regret it but the corollary is that each folio coming on the market is considered as a work of art in its own right.

On April 6 in London, Sotheby's sells a gouache heightened with gold, 47 x 32 cm. Made in Tabriz between 1525 and 1535 of our calendar, it is attributable to Aqa Mirak who was one of the best artists of this collection. It is estimated £ 2M.

It shows the king Faridun who disguises himself as a fierce dragon to test the courage and loyalty of his three sons. He could rejoice in the result and particularly appreciate the haughty answer made by the youngest: Go your way, dragon, we are the sons of the powerful Faridun.

This work will soon be exhibited in Doha. On this occasion, it is illustrated in the upper left of the article shared by The Peninsula Qatar.

POST SALE COMMENT

Sotheby's had announced this lot for a very long time and knew its value, of course.

The result, £ 7.4 million including premium, is very high, but the above discussion indicated the trend: each sheet of Shahnameh of Tahmasp is a work of art in its own right.

I have no doubt that this price will incite other sheets to come in future sales.

Safavid - The Carpet of Senator Clark2013 SOLD 34 M$ including premium

The extreme refinement of Persian carpets reached its peak under the Safavid dynasty.

One of them created one of the most exciting surprises in the history of auctions. Surfacing in Germany in October 2009, it was estimated € 900 by a local auctioneer. Christie's had a small intuition about the importance of the piece by providing an estimate of £ 200K. They sold it for £ 6.2 million including premium on April 15, 2010.

Now known as the carpet of the comtesse de Béhague, this Kirman in wool 339 x 153 cm was made with one of the more complex techniques identified as the 'vase' technique. This name is unrelated to the decorative pattern.

The carpet of Senator Clark will not create the same surprise as it has already been described for nearly a century as a masterpiece of Persian textile art. It was exhibited after the death of its owner in 1925 in a museum that de-accessions it now. It is estimated $ 5M, for sale by Sotheby's in New Yorkon June 5. Here is the link to the catalog.

Its red background is rare and perhaps unique in its class, the sickle-leaf pattern variant of the 'vase' technique. Its fine floral motifs and its palmettes make it a vibrant and sumptuous artwork in 267 x 196 cm size.

It is always difficult to date and locate an old carpet, if not by considerations of its technical characteristics. The Clark carpet is Safavid and probably Kirman. It is comparable to the best known pieces woven during the reign of Shah Abbas 400 years ago.

POST SALE COMMENT

There is no price limit for the most outstanding art pieces. This extraordinary carpet was sold for $ 34M including premium.

I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's.​It is also shared by Wikimedia.

Polonaise Safavids​2015 SOLD for $ 790K including premium

The art of carpet reaches its greatest refinement in the Safavid dynasty in Persia, specifically during the reign of Abbas I 400 years ago. The most complex techniques enable a high density and shimmering colors.

Provenances by textile center and dates are difficult to identify. The Béhague wool carpet in Vase weaving pattern is a Kirman. The Clark specimen executed in a variant of the same knot may come from the same location.

We date from the same reign an Isfahan silk rug 231 x 170 cm which was sold for $ 4,45M including premium by Christie's on June 3, 2008. Its luminescent effect is spectacular but was certainly very difficult to achieve without a brocade.

This Isfahan is probably earlier by a few decades than the Polonaise group of carpets from Isfahan or Kashan in which threads of silver and gilt silver are skillfully mingled with white and yellow silk among patterns of other colors often over a green background.

On October 1 in New York, Sotheby's sells a Polonaise rug 208 x 135 cm which had belonged to the collection of King Umberto II and whose conservation of colors is acceptable although the metal threads have been oxidized. It is estimated $ 800K, lot 68.

The reference to Poland is not original. In Paris in the late nineteenth century, Ladislas Czartoryski is a great collector who exhibited his brocaded carpets at the 1878 Exposition Universelle. Some of these rugs include a pattern that resembles the princely coat of arms of his family and he did not oppose the legend of a Polish weaving. An example of a Czartoryski carpet is kept at the Met Museum in New York.

Safavid - Royal Weavings in Kirman​2016 SOLD for £ 960K including premium

The rulers of the Middle East always enjoyed luxury. The Safavid Shahs developed to its greatest perfection the art of Persian carpet, first in Tabriz and then at Isfahan and Kirman.

Beauty and durability result from a high technical complexity whose climax is reached at Kirman. The weavers use wool and cotton in the same pieces with a wide range of dyes. The colors are dazzling and the themes with flowers, leaves and birds are charming.

The most complex weaving technique uses no less than three weft passes per knot. It is named Vase on a proposal by May Beattie in 1976.

On April 19 in London, Christie's sells a carpet and two fragments of Kirman Vase that had belonged to the Alice de Rothschild collection.

The oldest was woven before 1600, corresponding to the beginning of the reign of Abbas. This fragment 306 x 196 cm would be complete if it had kept its sides and ends. The catalog lists fifteen colors. The middle weft is made of silk, which is a characteristic of the most prestigious pieces. It is estimated £ 400K, lot 102.

Lot 100, estimated £ 250K, is a 205 x 286 cm fragment from a pair of carpets which were fragmented at an unidentified date and had been among the largest Kirman Vase ever made.

The third piece from this collection, dating from middle to late seventeenth century, is complete and in very good condition with a size of 251 x 151 cm. Large foliate motifs reinforced with more discreet blossoms are alternately dispositioned in partie and contre-partie offering an overall vision that tends toward abstraction. It is estimated £ 1M, lot 101.

The technique and design of this carpet are very similar to the Béhague specimen, of same width but 90 cm longer, which was sold for £ 6.2 million including premium by Christie's on April 15, 2010.

Safavid - A Silk Velvet Brocade2010 SOLD 1.6 M£ including premium

Textile is a symbol of luxury and refinement since immemorial time. But it is a fragile art, and few examples remain to testify to the extreme skill displayed in antique workshops.

A brocade measuring 57 x 71 cm (84 x 100 cm including borders) was created in Safavid Persia 300 to 400 years ago. It is very difficult to date such a piece with precision. Sotheby's sells it in London on April 14, with an estimate of £ 300K.

It is a green and red silk velvet woven on a bright yellow ground. The decor is composed of complex patterns punctuated by medallions and including peacocks, birds of paradise and flowers.

This sample is unpublished. It is known that it comes from the sale of a collection at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris in February 1912. It had not been seen since that time.

POST SALE COMMENT

This lot is a masterpiece of scarcity and complexity. Despite its small size, it got a great price: £ 1.6 million including premium.

Safavid Prayers2010 SOLD 1.16 M£ including premium

Ancient Persian carpets and velvets represent a market sector that remains to be discovered, as evidenced by some recent results recorded far beyond the estimates. This discussion focuses on some pieces woven 300 to 400 years ago.

On June 3, 2008, an Isfahan rug, 231 x 170 cm, was sold $ 4.4 million by Christie's on an estimate of $ 1M.

On March 19, 2009 in Doha, a Safavid silk velvet nicely decorated with two figures, 74 x 107 cm, was sold for $ 3.4 million by Sotheby's on an estimate of $ 250K.

On October 7, 2009, a Safavid prayer rug, 163 x 110 cm, was sold £ 2.7 million by Sotheby's on an estimate of £ 80K.

On April 14, 2010, a Safavid silk velvet, 84 x 100 cm, was sold £ 1.6 million by Sotheby's on an estimate of £ 300K.It has been the subject of an article on this site.

On April 15, 2010, a Kirman rug, 339 x 153 cm, was sold £ 6.2 million by Christie's on an estimate of £ 200K.Decorated with motifs typical of Islamic ceramics, it has brought to light the impeccable taste of the comtesse de Béhague, the collector who owned it one century ago.

The above results are shown including fees.

On October 6 in London, Sotheby's sells a Safavid prayer rug, 180 x 112 cm. The center is made up of trees, branches and vases in a mosque-shaped niche. The large borders show selected verses from the Qur'an. It is illustrated in the press release shared by Artdaily.

This piece was one of the famous group of 89 so-named Topkapi rugs. The estimate, £ 1M, seems to have something in common with those mentioned above: it is too low.

POST SALE COMMENT

The result is without passion: £ 1.16 million including premium. I had assumed that this rug could do better because of its prestigious origin.

1800-1801 The Qajar Courtesan2010 SOLD 960 K£ including premium

200 years ago, Fath 'Ali Shah reigned over Persia. Second ruler of the Qajar dynasty, he took advantage of a period of relative peace to develop the new capital, Tehran. He loved luxury and promoted the arts.

Mirza Baba was one of the artists attached to the court. In 1215AH, he signed the portrait of a Lady, to be sold by Sotheby's in London on October 6. For conversion into common calendar, add 585/586 years.

This large oil on canvas, 146 x 94 cm, is estimated £ 500K. The young beauty of the East, richly dressed, sits with a calculated negligence. She has no name: she is an idealized courtesan. Beside the Shah, the characters of Qajar art are rarely identified.

On 12 October 2004, the same auction house had sold £ 900K including premium a portrait of Fath 'Ali, recognizable by his huge black beard. This oil on canvas, 203 x 115 cm, painted around 1220AH, was attributed to the best painter of the court, Mihr 'Ali.

POST SALE COMMENT

This painting is beautiful, typical, signed by a renowned artist in his category, and dated. The result is logical and deserved: £ 960K including premium.

1820s The Shah who never grew old2014 SOLD 3 M£ including premium

The founder of the Qajar dynasty reestablished Tehran as the capital of Persia. His successor Fath 'Ali Shah developed the city and its palace.

Often in history a new dynasty enforces its authority by deploying an extreme wealth. The ceremonies of Fath 'Ali were sumptuous, decorated with the most beautiful rugs and finest gems.

The Shah wanted that his palace was decorated with pictures of himself and his family occupied in these luxurious ceremonies. These portraits were displayed lifesize like the English kings in Tudor times, and in oil on canvas, which was an innovation for Persian art.

For these reasons, the Qajar art under Fath 'Ali is unique. The name of the artist who directed this project for three decades is known : Mihr 'Ali. It is difficult to distinguish his autograph work because he had many students.

Throughout this period, the image of the Shah never gets old. He kept the huge black beard down to the belt and the mustache hiding the mouth. Only varied the luxurious details of the high crown, garment, carpet and of the wide bolster whose pattern often matched the carpet. The gaze is straight up to expressing a challenge.

On October 12, 2004, Sotheby 's sold £ 900K including premium a portrait of the Shah, 203 x 114 cm.

On April 9 in London, Sotheby's sells another canvas, 223 x 163 cm, estimated £ 1.5 M. The pentagonal shape is due to the space where the work was to be hung in the palace.

The Shah is kneeling on a carpet. He is accompanied by a standing teenager in a perfect costume, who is certainly his grandson Mohammad Mirza, eldest son of the Crown Prince and 12 years old in 1820 of our calendar.

POST SALE COMMENTThis outstanding Qajar portrait was sold for £ 3M including premium.